The custom fortress league is a fun enjoyable competition run over 10 weeks showcasing more then 6 custom maps selected for competitive play. The primary objective of the competition is to showcase and test a selection of custom maps created by the wider tf2 community. The competition will be run as an 6v6 competition with pools and a single elimination final. Matches are scheduled week to week pairing up clans within each others pool for the initial stages. The first stage will consist of teams of 6 split up into divisions. The second stage will consist of a bo3 final. The pools will run a points system with 2 points for a win, 1 point for a loss and 1 bonus point for winning by more than 3 match points.

While the Custom Fortress League promotes itself as a casual fun league, its key focus is the testing of these maps as genuine competitive additions or alternatives to the currently utilized valve competition maps. Thus although it is not required, it is hoped that the teams competing will have some familiarity with the map prior to the start of play and play with the same friendly but serious attitude they would bring to a non-custom map league match. It is suggested that the teams might at the very least spend 5-10 minutes exploring the map together so that the do not become lost.

1B. Rankings

Teams in the custom fortress league are ranked in the following order:

Their points scored for wining or losing

Their points scored for/against record

1C. Scheduling

Custom Forrtress league matches will be scheduled using the following guidelines:

The teams will be seeded into divisions then a final per division will be played of the best 4 teams.

It should be noted that the scheduling process is a guideline only and custom fortress league administrators reserve the right to adjust the process in the interests of the league at their discretion.

2. Match Scheduling

2A. Round Schedule
The custom fortress league will be run weekly.

Match schedules will be posted every Thursday/Friday night.

Match discussion threads will then be posted in the match discussion forum for teams to negotiate a suitable date and time for their match.

Teams will then have until 11:59pm on the second Monday night to conclude negotiation and set a date and time for the match

Matches must be organised to be played before12:00pm on the Thursday after they were announced so that admins have enough time to complete the match schedules for the next round.
To summarise:Friday: CFL Round N starts.Saturday: ---Sunday: ---Monday: Final warning for teams who haven't yet finished organising their match for Round N. They have until 11:59pm tonight to set a date and time for their matches.Tuesday: ---Wednesday: ---Thursday: Teams have until 12:00pm to finish their matches for Round N.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Friday: CFL Round N+1 starts.Saturday: ---

2B. Acceptable Match Times

Acceptable match start times for all custom fortress league matches are as follows:

Not During Day Light Saving:7:30pm AEST to 10:30pm AEST for all days during the round schedule (see section 2A)

During Day Light Saving:8:00pm AEDT to 10:30pm AEDT for all days during the round schedule (see section 2A)

2C. Negotiating Match Times

Once the match schedule for the round has been posted, teams can begin negotiating with each other to arrange a time and date for their match.

There are two ways this can be done:

Teams can make contact with each other through the ozfortress clan leaders Steam community group (link) or over other mediums such as IRC (#acf, #ozfortress) if that is more convenient to organise their matches, but the arranged date & time must be posted in the match discussion thread.

The lower ranked team is to initially propose (in the match discussion thread) three acceptable (see section 2B) time and dates for the match and also mention if they are able to organise an acceptable server (see section 5B) for them. The higher ranked team must then reply and either accept one of the proposed dates or, if none are acceptable, propose three new dates and if they are able to organise a server for them. (Repeat if needed until an agreement on the date and time is reached.)

If the other team is unresponsive and it is proving difficult to get in contact with the other team or they are not making a reasonable effort to organise the match with you, please bring it to the attention of the custom fortress league administrators immediately.

2D. Rescheduling

Matches must be played within the time frame outlined in section 2A. Matches can only be rescheduled to a date within that time frame.

2E. Forfeits

Forfeits will not be acceptable under any circumstances in the custom fortress league. Teams that have more than two non-technical forfeits recorded against them in the league period will be removed from the league and will only be accepted back if assurances are given that it will not happen again in the future.

It is the team’s responsibility to contact the league administrators as soon as possible if there is a change in circumstances that will affect your team’s ability to field a team each round. If it’s a temporary problem (e.g. if a number of your team will be absent next round) please contact an admin either before the round schedule is posted or not too long after. The schedule will be changed to reflect your inability to play that round. If it’s a long term problem please contact an admin and your teams status will be changed to inactive.

Teams will have a forfeit recorded against them if they

Cannot be contacted to arrange for a match to be played

Do not make a reasonable effort to organise a match

Do not show up for an arranged match

Do not have the minimum number of eligible players ready to play twenty (20) minutes after the arranged match time

Refuse to play in a match that is organised and setup according to the rules

Leave the match before a final result has been determined

Fall below the minimum number of eligible players for longer than five (5) minutes for any reason not due to technical problems

Fail to take immediate action to correct any breach of the class restriction rules

Neither team submits the results within two (2) hours of the match ending

When a forfeit is recorded the team they are scheduled to play will be awarded a default win unless both teams forfeited.

2F. Technical Forfeits

A technical forfeit will be awarded in the following circumstances

Technical problems (e.g. Steam connectivity issues) prevent the match being played at the arranged time and the match cannot be rescheduled to a later date within the acceptable time frame outlined in section 2A.

Server/Network Problems render the server unplayable and an alternative server cannot be found nor match rescheduled to a later date within the acceptable time frame outlined in section 2A.

In the case of a technical forfeit being awarded, no result will be recorded for or against either team. Technical forfeits, unlike regular forfeits explained in section 2E, do not count against a team.

3. Matches

3A. Player Eligibility

To be considered as eligible, players must be:

Registered and be listed on their team's roster on ozfortress

Have a valid Steam ID set in their user profile (Set your Steam ID here)

Registered before the match schedules were posted for the round or before 3 days of when the match occurs (whichever is the shorter range). A player using this circumstance must not invalidate Rule 3AB.

Does not invalidate Rule 3AA.

Players that do not meet all of the above criteria will be subject to the mercenary rules outlined in section 3C.

3AA. Multi-Clanning

Multi-Clanning is defined as playing for more than one clan in an ozfortress competition. CFL will be run separately to other competitions therefore a player can play for one team in another ozfortress competition and another for CFL. Permission must be granted from an CFL admin for this to happen and it is the player in question's responsibility to confirm their position with an CFL admin before registering in their second clan.

If a player is found multi-clanning within formats (i.e. playing for two clans in the same format) they will be banned from all current and future CFL competitions.

3AB. New Player AdditionsNew players may be added to the roster up until the roster lock date. New players are considered those players which have not been registered in a team for the current league season. New players from other competitions can be added up until the finals are scheduled.3AC. Player Transfers

Once first round fixtures begin, registered players are locked to their teams roster for the entire season.

3AD. Disbanding

Teams who disband during the regular season will be denied entry to the next league season. A team that disbands during the league season, only to reform at a later date, will be required to play in other competitions for an extended period before being granted entry to another league season.

The captain of a disbanded team will not be permitted to lead another team in an Custom Fortress League. Where responsibility for an imminent disband is the sole fault of the captain, a simple majority of registered team members may elect to nominate a new captain, or remove the captain entirely, at any point of the season. The team at large will then remain unpenalised.

To avoid penalty, captains and/or team members should approach League Administrators at the first sign of trouble to work through a solution.

3B. Minimum Number of Eligible Players
Teams must have a minimum of five (5) eligible (i.e. does not include any mercenaries) players ready to start or continue a match.

3C. Mercenaries

Any player regardless of their status (i.e. trialer, slut, friend, new member not on roster) will be regarded as a mercenary in the context of the rules if they do not meet the criteria of an eligible player outlined in section 3A.

A mercenary can be used without the permission of the other team if they are a member of a team with a lower initial seed rank than the team they will be playing for. If the proposed mercenary is not a member of any team participating in the Custom Fortress league or they are in a team seeded higher than the team they will be playing for, then they can only be used with

The following rules also apply in both circumstances:
the permission of the other team.

It is clearly and honestly communicated to the other team who the mercenary is and why they are being used

A maximum of one (1) mercenary can be used by a team per match

3D. Demo Recording

Teams should attempt to arrange for a recording STV to be present for their match. If one cannot be arranged or the STV does not record or the recording can not be later retrieved, then the following rules apply

Two(2) players from each team will need to record a personal demo in case there is a dispute.

3E. Spectators

Spectators are not acceptable under any circumstances (except in the case of match shoutcasters, in which case they are allowed as long as both teams consent) once the match has started. Teams with more than the required number of players present in the server are to ask the player(s) not taking part in the match to leave immediately.

If a team needs a player replacement after the match has started, the player that is being replaced must leave the server before the replacement joins. A replacement joining the server and becoming a spectator while waiting for the other player to leave is prohibited.

3F. Sportsmanship

Teams participating in the custom fortress league are required to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner once the match has started. Global chat is frowned upon unless it's limited and friendly in nature. Any abusive chat is prohibited and could result in a loss of points.

3G. Class Restrictions

The following class restrictions apply in CFL:

Medic: Maximum of one (1)

Demoman: Maximum of one (1)

Heavy: Maximum of one (1)

Engineer: Maximum of one (1)

Spy: Maximum of one (1)

Scout: Maximum of two (2)

Sniper: Maximum of two (2)

Soldier: Maximum of two (2)

Pyro: Maximum of two (2)

These must be enforced using the tf_tournament_classlimit_X commands. The full listing of these can be found in the official ozfl configs.

3H. Critical Hits, Damage Spread and Weapon Unlocks

The status of critical hits will not be put to a captains vote. All weapon unlocks will be allowed until admins have had a chance to decide whether any new unlocks unbalance competitive matches.

CFL

All Pools

Critical Hits:Off

Damage Spread: Off

Weapon Unlocks (minus Sandman/gunboots):On

Sandman Unlock:Off

Gun Boots:OFF

Random Weapon Spread:OFF

The server administrator for CFL matches must make sure that the server variables "tf_weapon_criticals0", "tf_damage_disablespread 1" and tf_use_fixed_weaponspreads 1 are set for their match.

3I. Scoring Maps

3IA. Time Based Maps

Attack/Defend (gravelpit/dustbowl style maps)

CFL uses the scoring format of ABBA to ease calculation of results. A small reminder of what ABBA is: With stopwatch ON. The home team will attack first, the away team will then respond to the home teams attack. Once completed the winning team will receive ONE (1) point. The teams will then switch sides and the away team will set the stopwatch time first, following by the home teams response. The winner of this will receive one point. If drawn on 1-1, The home team will attack first again once more and the away team will reply to the home's time. The score is to be reported as how many rounds you win. eg/ 2-1, 2-0.

3IB. Mirrored Maps

Maps such as cp_freight, cp_hillside, cp_raiden and cp_granary are to be played with tournament mode on (mp_tournament 1). And played until either a team gets five (5) caps or the 30minutes are up.

3IC. Map Feedback

At the start of each round a map thread will be posted for players to provide feedback on the map. Any player who participated in the round match is welcome to voice there opinions, preferably in the format of:
· Rating: (1-5)· Likes:· Dislikes:

3ID. General Map ErrorsIn the event that a map does not end at the end of tournament mode then either team has the right to call the end of the game. If neither team notices and the round is played out, the score at the end of the round will be counted. Once a team declares that the game should have ended the game may continue for a maximum of one(1) minute before players are allowed to leave the server. In the case of a dispute or for more clarification on this rule contact an admin.

3J. Draws

In the case of a drawn result at the conclusion of the match (once 30mins are up), on all maps except for attack/defend maps (and other maps on the map schedule that are marked as time scored), the map will immediately be restarted and match started once both teams are once again ready and the first team to win the first round played will be declared the winner.

When reporting results for matches that were resolved after being drawn, report the scores after regular time with an added extra point to the winning team (e.g. 5-5 after regular time, report the results as 6-5 in favour of the team that won the extra round).

3K. Pre-match Responsibilities

The team who has the responsibility of organizing the server should set up the server for the match with the required settings outlined in section 5A five (5) to ten (10) minutes before the organized start of the match.

Once the server is ready, contact the other team via the prior agreed method during the match time negotiation and give them the appropriate server details.

Both teams should be in the server and ready to start the match no later than fifteen (15) minutes after the agreed match start time.

3L. Post-match Responsibilities

For the custom fortress league to run smoothly, timely and accurate reporting of results at the conclusion of all matches is required. At the end of the match, bothtwo (2) hours of the match ending. If only one team submits results, then they will be accepted without verification, so make sure you either confirm the posted results or challenge them if they are incorrect.

In the case of neither team submitting results, a forfeit will be recorded against both teams. teams must reply to the match discussion thread with the results (attach any scoreboard screen shots if available) within

3M. Match Arrangements

Teams can form an agreement to override some of the custom fortress league rules (e.g. to play with crits, or to play with different class restrictions) with the following exceptions:

The match must still be organised and played according to the round schedule (section 2A) and match negotiation rules (section 2C)

The map played cannot be changed.

The match still must be played according to the cheat and exploit rules (section 4)

The match still must be played according to the demo recording rules (section 3E)

Matches must be played to their format type (6v6).

Teams are under no obligation to accept any requests to override the rules for their match and any teams caught trying to pressure teams to accept them will be punished.4. Cheating and Exploits

4A. Exploits

Exploiting game or map bugs or flaws for an unfair advantage, whether they are listed in the rules or not is prohibited.

The following is an incomplete list of known unfixed exploits:

Exploiting flaws in map design to enter areas that put you underneath or above the map

Building Sentry Guns, Dispensers or Teleporters in unbuildable areas

Shooting through gates or walls during the setup phase

Using the the map entity bug specific to the red side of the map on cp_well to jump over the trains

Using scripts, macros or key combinations that allow you to bypass movement restrictions (e.g. the "Mega Jump" exploit)

Spamming +duck while jumping to alter hitboxes.

Any other script which is deemed disruptive to hitboxes or gameplay.

Placing stickys through walls which would otherwise would not be alowd

If you're not sure if something is considered an exploit or not please contact an admin and request a ruling be made on it.

4C. Third Party Software

The use of any third-party addons, hooks, programs or wrappers that interact with or alter the Team Fortress 2 client, its appearance or behavior for the purposes of gaining an unfair advantage are banned.

4D. Malicious Server Administration

The use of any server commands, variables or plugins for the purposes of gaining an unfair advantage or to interfere with an Custom Fortress League match are prohibited. Once the match is underway, the server administrator must let the match run its course and not make any changes without the consent of both teams.

4E. Steam Account Sharing

A Steam account may only be used by its owner in Custom Fortress League matches. Sharing your login details with a third party for use in ozfortress league matches is prohibited.

4F. Probation

Certain situations will arise where players or teams will be put on probation. What this means is that the player or team who is on probation must provide extra information for every match they play which falls inside the probation period.

Probation for single players: When a player is put on probation, they are expected to upload a personal demo for every match they play in CFL during the probation period. In addition to this for every CFL match that is played by a team who has a member of their roster under probation, they must produce a screen shot of console after they have typed "status". In the event a team does not produce a valid screen shot, the whole team will be put on probation and the already probationed player/s will be banned for 1 Round after which they will return to finish their probation period.

Probation for teams: When a team is put on probation, they are expected to produce a screen shot of console after they have typed "status". In addition after every match a probationed team plays, their opposiing team will have to fill in a questionaire concerning how the probationed team conducted themselves from prematch to post match. Failing any of these scenarios the probation team will be penalised, ranging from the forfieture of a match to being removed from the competition.

Excessive bad sportsmanship from a team during any part of a match (from organising through to post-game conversations (in server)).

Teams using illegal players.

All Probation Material should be rarred or zipped then uploaded here and not published. The admins will review the demo/screenshot then delete it after viewing.

Team Probation Questionnaires will be sent via PM to captains of the opposing team when the match is planned. These do not have to be filled in and returned, however if you can spare the time we hope you will.

Be hosted on a dedicated, non-residential connection and be able to handle the bandwidth for at least fourteen (14) players

Must be physically hosted in Australia unless the match is between 2 New Zealand based teams.

If opposing captains cannot reach an agreement on an acceptable server then ozfortress league admins dictate the game server to be used.

IPGN and ozfortress servers will be made available with the required custom maps, GA servers will only have some of these maps available. If agreed upon private servers are acceptable however it is the two teams responsibility to find a server to play their games.

A group of clan servers will also be made available at the request towards the owners. If a team refuses access to the server don't take it offensively as they are not obliged to allow you access.

5C. Foreign Teams

While all matches must be played on an Australian server, if the match involves a foreign team and there is an alternative Australian server available to be used that meets the acceptable server criteria outlined in section 5B and would make for a fairer playing field, then it must be used. It is the foreign team's responsibility to bring this to the attention of the other team when negotiating the match details and to book or organise the server.

6. Captains

6A. VotingFrom time to time, the administrators will create threads in the CFL forum for voting on various subjects such as:

Game Play Changes

Map Discussion Votes

Discussion on maps

It is expected that at least one(1) member of each team to undertake dicussions and votes. Afterall this competition is a source of feedback for Australias TF2 community.
Clan captains and representatives should also make sure they regularly check the CFL forum as it will be the main outlet for communication between the administrators and the participating teams on issues concerning the Custom Fortress league.

6B. Lodging a Dispute

Captains wishing to lodge a dispute with the administrators against another team, individual, administrator conduct or against the rules of the Custom Fortress league should create a PM message and send to either No Mercy or Aragon.

Give the message title a suitable name and include the following information:
Who or what you're lodging the dispute against
The date and time that the event occurred that you're disputing (if applicable)
Describe in detail what you're lodging your dispute against (e.g. what rules you think were broken) and include all supporting evidence or information to back your claim

Disputes must include a reasonable amount of supporting evidence before the administrators will make in depth investigations. The disputes forum is not the place for encouraging administrator fishing expeditions into alleged misconduct with hearsay or rumors, you must provide concrete evidence and information before any action will be taken.

Disputes must be reported within 24hours of the event (if applicable) to give the administrators enough time to investigate and make a ruling on the dispute.7. Joining/Leaving CFL

7A. Joining CFLAny team may join custom fortress league. However to improve stability within the competition in the aim to not inconvenience other teams we have established that no one captain can enter more than one team per three month period.7B. Leaving CFLIt is expected that teams joining CFL will be committing to play the prescriptive round maps and remain in the competition until the next designated stage - which will be usually designated by round 3. Leaving the tournament can be done by informing an CFL admin. However we would prefer if teams could play out their existing matches as not to inconvenience other teams in the competition. In the event of a team leaving CFL at the beginning of a round we expect any captain from the leaving team to inform a CFL admin as soon as possible to allow for admins to redo the draw as to not inconvenience other teams if possible.

If the captains of a leaving team do not inform an admin at the earliest time possible and admins are forced to hear about the news from a third party, all captains of the leaving team will be punished. Such punishment will be that they will not be allowed to enter another clan into CFL or any furture ozfortress based competitions.

8. ContactFeel free to contact Aragon & myself (No Mercy) or any of the league associated ozfortress admins with any specific questions regarding the nature, format and rules of the tournament. Find us on steam friends within the CustomFortress League community group at http://steamcommunity.com/groups/c_f_l, or on irc at #ozfortress or #acf.

Last edited by Aragon; 27-02-2010 at 01:07.

Aragon

- weekly 1 map rounds
- probably finals at round robin end
- Maps wont draw unlike OWL:SE:
- ABBA(AB) for A/D
- first to 5, 30mins golden cap, for push.
- if you win by 3 or more caps you gain a bonus point
- Please make an effort for at least team captains to post some map feedback after each match, even it is just a vent of hate. Community opinion is taken seriously when considering maps for future competition integration.

No Mercy

Note: There is a good chance that multiple maps will make it into the next OWL from CFL and the feedback and voting from players will help go along way in regards to helping to decide on maps. So, when this competition starts, can captains please watch the feedback threads carefully and post.